How Bad Are Immigration Court Backlogs in Palm Beach County?
If you’re trying to navigate immigration courts in Palm Beach County, you may have heard that there is a considerable backlog. This issue is no secret, and it is why many families have to wait many years before achieving their immigration goals. But how bad is it really? How long will you have to wait before you receive your visa? How could recent changes to immigration policy affect this backlog? These are questions you might want to ask an immigration lawyer.
20 Immigration Judges Fired, Sparking Concerns About Backlogs
In the middle of February 2025, the current administration fired 20 immigration judges as part of an overall effort to shrink the size of the federal government. These included 13 judges who were waiting to be sworn in. In other words, these judges had not started presiding over cases yet – but they were presumably appointed to address serious backlogs in US immigration courts.
There are about 700 immigration judges left in the United States. These judges are overseeing a backlog of 3.7 million cases, and The Guardian notes that it takes years to decide a typical asylum case. As it stands, this backlog means that many people trying to navigate immigration courts will never see results. The United States could address this issue in a few ways.
The first way is to appoint more judges. Another way is to speed up the process of each case, potentially leading to quicker decisions within months instead of years. While previous administrations may have felt that appointing more judges was the way to go, the new administration has advocated for faster decisions. That being said, there was no official explanation for the firing of these immigration judges.
Ankle Monitoring Seems to Be Expanding
The truth is that many people do not even reach the immigration courts. The new policy is not to “catch and release” but to send people back. However, recent reports suggest that this policy is only common at the southern border. When migrants are apprehended in the interior of the country, authorities are more likely to use ankle monitoring.
The issue is that ICE does not have enough capacity to detain all of these individuals. As a result, one of the few remaining options is to use ankle monitors and release undocumented individuals back into the general population – presumably until they get a court date. According to various sources, ankle monitoring is generally used with non-violent migrants.
Can an Immigration Lawyer in Palm Beach County Help Me?
If you’re struggling to navigate backlogs and complex court procedures, you might want to speak with an experienced immigration lawyer in Palm Beach County. These legal professionals may be able to help you achieve positive results. Although recent changes may make backlogs worse, there are ways to circumvent these delays. Speak with The Devore Law Group today to learn more.
Sources:
theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/15/trump-administration-fires-immigration-judges
bbc.com/news/articles/c8xq70lw8kvo
